


Broken Noses and Bad Ideas

by FlowersAndSkeletons



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Drinking, Drug Use, F/F, Smoking, Unrequited Crush, light Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:15:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowersAndSkeletons/pseuds/FlowersAndSkeletons
Summary: "Wispy clouds turned orange above her as the sun slipped beneath the skyline, streetlights winking to life and neon signs illuminating the city. The smell of rain hung in the cool air. The lights made colorful, muddled reflections in the puddles scattered across the pavement. Glimmer tuned out the car engines and police sirens, the thudding of footsteps all through downtown, and focused only on the wet concrete beneath her boots. A chilly breeze swept her unkempt hair away from her face. She popped the collar of her jacket to keep the wind off her neck."
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is probably going to be a bit long. Hope you all enjoy!

Glimmer lit a cigarette as she stood over two fallen punks in the alley, blood still trickling from her nose. One of the leather clad idiots groaned but stayed down. Glimmer waited a second to make sure neither were getting up to come after her. When they stayed still, she blew a puff of smoke towards the sky and stumbled out onto the sidewalk. 

Wispy clouds turned orange above her as the sun slipped beneath the skyline, streetlights winking to life and neon signs illuminating the city. The smell of rain hung in the cool air. The lights made colorful, muddled reflections in the puddles scattered across the pavement. Glimmer tuned out the car engines and police sirens, the thudding of footsteps all through downtown, and focused only on the wet concrete beneath her boots. A chilly breeze swept her unkempt hair away from her face. She popped the collar of her jacket to keep the wind off her neck. 

She made her way towards the outer rim of the city, to a tiny shop tucked between buildings. A pink and gold sign that read “Brightmoon Magics” hung above the front windows. Glimmer slipped into the cramped store, locking the door behind her and trudging to the back room. She opened the door to a narrow staircase. 

“Hey, Glimmer!” Adora chirped.

Glimmer yelped and fell back against the door. She groaned, dragging a hand down her face as Adora rose from her seat on the stairs. “Adora, what are you doing here?” she asked. 

“I came in earlier to tidy up while the shop was closed and I needed to talk to you, so I just hung out here until you got back,” Adora explained. Her Letterman jacket was tossed over her shoulder, a few stray locks of hair framing her face and the rest pulled into its usual ponytail. 

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long. I had a lot to do.” Adora paused, frowning as she cupped Glimmer’s cheek. Glimmer winced. “Is that blood? Glimmer, what happened?”

Glimmer shrugged and swept past Adora up the stairs. “I got into a fight. It’s nothing.” 

Adora followed. “With who?” 

“I don’t know. I went over to Mermista’s and she had another rager going. Some girl bumped into me, blamed me for spilling her drink, her buddy got loud, all of that. Mermista said she didn’t know who they were.” 

“And they beat you up?”

“No! God, Adora, calm down. You know I never lose a fight.” Heading to the bathroom, Glimmer ran cold water over a rag and held it to her face. “Besides, they barely hit me.” 

“Glimmer.”

“What?” 

“I know you’re lying.”

Glimmer turned, leaning back against the sink as Adora crossed her arms in the doorway. “Adora.” She poked the blonde in the chest and pushed her back. “I’m fine.” 

Adora huffed and trailed after Glimmer as she tossed her jacket onto the table. “Since when do you go to Mermista’s parties?”

“I don’t know, for a while, I guess. I thought you liked Mermista.”

“Well, I do, I just don’t like all the yelling and drinking.”

“You’re a jock. Isn’t that your brand?”

“I’m an athlete, not a frat boy.” 

“Thank God.” 

Adora smiled and sat on the weathered couch. Glimmer flopped over the arm, stretching out and laying her head in Adora’s lap. Adora threaded her fingers through Glimmer’s pink and purple hair, exposing the black roots, and Glimmer smiled up at her. 

“You’ve got to redo your roots soon,” she remarked. 

“I can let it grow out a little more,” Glimmer said. 

“And then you’ll complain about the black showing through.” 

“Yeah whatever.” 

Adora chuckled. Her bright blue eyes sparkled, bright and carefree and happy. Glimmer’s heart twisted with memories of simpler times, and she turned over, facing away from Adora. Adora tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. 

“Hey, I think Bow gets off his shift pretty soon,” Adora said. “Want to call him over and order a pizza or something? We could have a best friend squad movie night like we used to!” 

Glimmer shrugged and closed her eyes as her brow furrowed. “I guess.”

“Or we could do something else? We could go bowling, head to the arcade, go out to eat somewhere. Do you want me to call Bow and see what he wants to do?”

“Adora, you’re doing it again.”

Adora’s hand stilled. “Doing what?”

“You did this right after she died. You try to distract me from it by just ignoring everything and letting it pass by. Please, just… not tonight.” 

Taking a deep breath, Adora sighed and smoothed Glimmer’s hair back from her face. “Am I that transparent?” 

“Like air.”

“That’s fair.” Adora leaned her head back. “I can’t believe it’s only been a year since Angella died. It feels like we’ve been drudging through a decade already trying to deal with this place since then.” 

Glimmer hummed. In reality, she woke up every morning still aching like it was the first day, like she had just come home from class to meet the police on her doorstep. Her stomach coiled into knots as she remembered the night before the accident, how they fought and screamed at each other, how her last words to her mother were words of anger. The memory made her want to puke. 

“Glimmer?” Adora asked. Glimmer looked up. “Do you want me to call Bow?”

“Uh, y-yeah. Yeah, a squad movie night sounds good.” 

“Sweet!” Adora cheered. Glimmer sat up so she could stand, stretching her muscular arms above her head. “What do you want on your pizza?” 

“Pepperoni and extra cheese.”

“Okay, I’ll get one for you and me and a vegan one for Bow.” 

“Sounds good.” 

Glimmer picked her head up out of her hands and tried to relax for the rest of the night. Adora and Bow distracted her with jokes and old ridiculous movies that they used to watch when they first met. It worked, for the most part, dragging her out of her own head and drawing a few genuine laughs from her. She didn’t tell Bow about the fight, or Adora about her secretly continued smoking habit, or either of them about her pounding headache and the guilt weighing her down like cement shoes. Putting on a smile until they left drained what little energy she had left. 

Glimmer gave her friends one last hug as she walked them out. Adora smiled, one hand resting gently on Glimmer’s forearm. “Text us if you need us, okay?” she said. 

“Okay,” Glimmer mumbled. 

“Do you need us to pick up any extra shifts this week?” Bow asked. 

“No, I’ve got everything covered. Thanks, though.”

“Okay, well, we’re here if you need us.” 

“I know.” 

Bow and Adora wrapped her in their arms and held her tight for a few moments before they left the store. Glimmer locked the door and set the alarm. Returning to the apartment, she tossed the leftover pizza in a barren fridge and made an ultimately forgotten note to go grocery shopping. She sat on the edge of the couch with a sigh. 

Her phone buzzed on the table beside her. She groaned, reaching blindly with one hand and holding it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Shimmer!” Seahawk shouted. “How are you, my friend?”

Glimmer jumped and held the phone away from her face. There was a scuffle in the background, and she heard a crash and Seahawk scream before Mermista’s voice came over the speaker. 

“Alright, he’s gone,” she said as Glimmer held the phone to her ear again. 

“No I’m not!” came his voice in the background. 

“Ugh, go fix your mustache! Sorry, he grabbed my phone.”

“Does he not know my name or is he picking on me again?” Glimmer asked. 

“I think he’s picking on you still. Anyway, Perfuma wanted me to call and check on you. She saw a post about those party crashers getting their asses kicked and thought you did something.” 

“Can people even crash your parties? I thought they were open invitation.” 

“Hey, I am trying to be nice here.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. They followed me and I left them in an alley.”

Mermista laughed, barely more than a huff but the most anyone could get from the queen of blasé. “I told her you’d do worse to them. I mean, Adora would have been breaking down my door if anything actually happened.” 

Glimmer grimaced, forcing a laugh. “Yeah, no kidding.” 

“Alright, so that aside, I’m taking a few people out this Friday. You know Netossa, right? She’s that grad student I was hanging out with a while ago.” 

“Yeah, why?”

“Her wife Spinerella is the manager at the new bar downtown.”

“The Crystal Castle?” 

“Yeah, now listen. Perfuma, Seahawk, and I are already going and wanted to see if your super pal trio or whatever you call it wants to come. They’ve got live music and a great bartender. I’ve heard she’s a little crazy, but cool.”

“It’s the best friend squad.”

“Whatever. Are you in or not?” 

“I’ll ask.” 

“Let me know. Bye.”

“See you.” 

The next morning, Glimmer drudged out of bed to open the shop. Both Adora and Bow had class all day at the state college uptown. Adora was a political science major and star of the track team, the golden child of the entire school. Bow studied engineering and competed on the archery team. 

Before everything, Glimmer was going to follow them and study politics or law or both. Now she could barely get through the online business classes she forced herself to take. 

Glimmer adjusted shelves of crystals and vials of various herbs, dusting off old books and charms. She barely remembered her father, the founder of the store, having only a dusty framed picture in her apartment to remind her of him. Angella, however, she remembered as clear as day. 

She was tall and regal, always dressed in flowy pink and sky blue dresses and dripping in moonstone jewelry. She seemed to float through the store between the cramped shelves and tables. Glimmer never quite understood how she managed to miss all the numerous creaky floorboards in the old building. She remembered Angella’s gentle smile when Glimmer came home raving about some new project, or the first time she brought Adora in looking for a job when the blonde first moved to the city. Glimmer had hung Angella’s portrait behind the front counter, but it wasn’t the same. It did nothing to ease the ache. 

A bell rang as the door opened. Glimmer didn’t look up. “Hey there,” she called. 

“Hey,” said an unfamiliar voice. 

Light footsteps circled the store. Glimmer looked up as they paused behind her. “Can I help you with… anything?” 

A tall, tanned woman stood by a shelf of vials. A mane of wild brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, held back from her face by a crimson band. A bright red tank top left her freckled arms bare, covered in toned, sharply defined muscles. Two gold rings pierced her bottom lip. She wore one gold hoop in her ear, reminding Glimmer of a pirate. Her long nails were painted black, and pale scars marred her knuckles. Bright eyes turned to Glimmer, one blue and the other a deep amber. 

“Burning sage?” she asked. 

Glimmer blinked, returning to her body and waving to a table. “In the corner.” 

She stepped back behind the counter as the woman picked out a bundle of herbs. Setting it on the weathered counter, the woman leaned forward with her arms on the edge, studying Glimmer as she rang her up. Glimmer glanced at the woman and met her eyes. The woman tilted her head, sizing her up, it seemed. Glimmer trained her eyes on the cash drawer. 

“Blessing a new place?” she remarked. 

“Just moved in,” the woman replied. 

“Welcome to the city.” 

“Thanks.” The woman looked around as she took her bag. “Cute little place. I wasn’t expecting to find a place like this here.”

“Do you practice at all?”

The woman shook her head and stood up straight. “Only the sage, and it’s just a bad superstition I picked up.” She smiled, flashing sharp teeth. “Maybe I’ll pop back in to check out the crystals, though. Thanks for the sage.” 

Glimmer nodded. Her eyes followed the woman out of the store until she disappeared down the street. A shiver raced up her spine. The intensity of the woman’s stare stuck with her like a frost frozen on her skin. It wasn’t unnerving, necessarily, but those bright, focused eyes tugged at Glimmer’s mind throughout the entire day. 

\---

By the time Friday came around, Glimmer’s headache had yet to fade. If anything, it was worse. She sat on the couch, dressed in her leather jacket and torn pink jeans, pressing the heels of her hands against the eyes. She considered cancelling until Bow showed up in his favorite tight black crop top, grinning from ear to ear. Glimmer smiled and tried to avoid any bright lights as they headed out.

“So, Adora’s not coming?” he asked. 

“Late night study practice,” Glimmer explained. “She said she’ll be there next time.” 

“Sweet.” Bow touched her shoulder. “Are you okay? I know you’ve been tired lately.” 

“Yeah, of course!” Glimmer chirped. She linked their arms. “Come on, tonight we’re going to have fun and get wasted like real college kids.” 

Bow laughed. “There’s the Glimmer I know!” 

Glimmer forced a laugh and held his arm tighter. 

The bar was loud and hot and dark despite the neon lights everywhere. Mermista and Seahawk were already on the dance floor, and Perfuma caught up with Glimmer and Bow by the bar. 

“I’m so happy you guys made it!” she said as she threw her arms around them. “Come get a drink, the band is going to start in a few minutes.” 

Glimmer and Bow followed the tall hippie through the crowded room. “Who’s playing?” Bow asked. 

“Some new band, I guess,” Perfuma answered. “I think they’re called the Horde but I don’t know. Mermista does.” 

A short woman with impossibly long purple pigtails stood behind the bar. She wore weathered overalls with the straps hanging around her waist, and a pair of red goggles was pushed up on her head. She grinned at them. 

“Bow!” the bartender chirped.

“Entrapta!” Bow said. “Since when are you a bartender?”

“I needed the job to finance my projects. Mixology is technically a science, so it works!” 

“Awesome. Oh, Entrapta, this is my friend Glimmer. Glimmer, this is Entrapta. She’s in my robotics class.”

“Nice to meet you!” Entrapta said. “What can I get you two?” 

“Tequila sunrise,” Bow said. 

“Whisky on the rocks, please,” Glimmer said. 

The band came on just as they got their drinks. While Bow stayed by the bar to talk with Entrapta, Glimmer found a place against the wall to watch the show. Four people were already onstage, adjusting their instruments. The drummer was a burly man with green hair slicked back from his face and scales tattooed on his neck. The guitar player, a stocky woman with an undercut and dreadlocks pinned back from her face, hung back by the drum set. The bass player was a tall, strong woman with a white undercut and red scars up her arms, talking to someone offstage. Tucked off to the side was a pale, scrawny kid on the keyboard. 

Someone stepped onto the stage, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Glimmer’s eyes widened as the strange woman from the shop stood before the front microphone. She opened her arms to the applause, grinning with those sharp teeth and dressed in metal and leather. 

“Hello Etheria!” she shouted. “How is everyone doing tonight?” The crowd cheered, and the woman’s grin widened. “Alright. Let’s get this shit started!” 

The drummer counted them off. The music was heavy but bright, with harsh drums and grungy guitar. They pushed a fast tempo as the front woman grabbed the microphone. Glimmer’s eyes were glued to the woman as she sang. Her voice was low and raspy, and she sang with an explosive fire that set Glimmer’s heart pounding. She hardly listened to the lyrics, just the sound of the woman’s voice as she belted out the notes. 

Glimmer barely noticed when Bow slung an arm around her shoulders. “Aren’t they amazing?” he asked over the music. 

“Yeah, they’re wicked,” Glimmer said. 

The last song finished, and the woman paused for applause, inquisitive eyes scanning the crowd. “You guys have been great tonight,” she said over the cheers. Her eyes met Glimmer’s across the sea of people, and she grinned. “Come back again, we’re here all week.” 

That odd chill settled over Glimmer again as the band left the stage. She nudged Bow. “Hey, I’m going to head home. I’ve got a bit of a headache.” 

“Okay. Let me just say goodbye to Entrapta,” Bow said. 

“No, Bow, stay. You’re having fun. I need a walk anyway.” 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you walking home alone.”

“It’s not ten minutes. I’ll be fine. I’ll text you when I get home.” 

“Okay. Be safe.” 

“I will.”

Glimmer sighed as she stepped out into the cool night air. Lighting a cigarette, she rubbed her eyes as she ghosted through the empty streets. The woman was stuck in her head. The sight of her singing was seared on the inside of Glimmer’s eyelids, with her wild hair tossed back from her face and the stage lights a bold red behind her. 

Several pairs of footsteps clicked on the sidewalk. Glimmer turned. The people from Mermista’s party earlier in the week blocked her path, along with two more thugs to bolster their numbers. 

“Hey, you!” one shouted. 

Glimmer cursed. She spun on her heel to run, but they grabbed the back of her collar and flung her back. She managed to punch one in the jaw before they slammed her against a brick storefront. She opened her mouth to scream. The leader sucker punched her. Dazed and bleeding, she let her head hang as the punk laughed. 

“Payback, bitch,” she spat. 

The woman wore heavy jeweled rings. They left little cuts all over Glimmer’s face, breaking the skin through her clothes as the thugs rained blows down on her. She struggled to break free from their grip, but they held her tight against the wall. Blood poured down her face and soaked into her shirt. Her vision began to tunnel. 

Muffled shouting echoed from down the street. The blows paused. Someone screamed in pain, and Glimmer was suddenly dropped to the ground. She heard a scuffle and more screams. Two of the thugs collapsed in front of her while the others bolted down the street. Blood poured from wounds in their back or side, pooling beneath them as they struggled to get away. The unknown attacker stepped over the leader of the gang and kicked her in the face, leaving her there to bleed. 

Bloodstained boots approached Glimmer as her vision faded. The last things she saw before she lost consciousness were hands dripping with red and a pair of bright, focused eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora meets an old friend.

Adora set the barbell on the rack and mopped the sweat off her face. Wiping down the bench, she put her towel around her neck and headed for the showers. After she toweled off and got dressed, she grabbed her backpack and left the gym. Classes were done for the day and practice wasn’t set to start for another two weeks. She had nothing but time. 

A strong hand grabbed her shoulder. “Heading out, Blondie?” 

Adora smiled at the muscle bound woman standing beside her. “Oh, hey Huntara. Yeah, I just finished my sets.” 

“Ready for tryouts soon?”

“You know it.” 

“That’s my star!” Huntara clapped Adora on the back. “Get where you’re going.” 

“See you tomorrow, Coach.” 

Adora popped by her dorm room to drop off her backpack. Half the room was covered wall to wall in plants, ivies creeping up the wall and across the top of the windows. Perfuma stood by her desk, gingerly tending to a stout cactus, her brows drawn together as she squinted at the plant. 

“Hey Perfuma,” Adora said. “How’s the cactus going?” 

Perfuma grinned as a tense laugh escaped her. “I always say to find peace through patience,” she said. “And this… does require patience.” 

“How hard can a cactus be? You water it like once a week, right? I would think your orchids would be a lot harder.” 

“They are temperamental, but we’re working on it.” 

“Good luck. I’m heading out, I’ll be back later.” 

“Tell Glimmer I say hi.”

“How do you know I’m going to see Glimmer?” 

“Where do you go besides Glimmer’s place?” 

Adora’s face grew hot. “I go places.”

Perfuma giggled. “Okay, Adora. Make sure you have your key because I’m going to Mermista’s tonight.” 

“Got it. Bye!” 

Adora strolled through the city, smiling as the sun beamed on her face. Spring was just beginning to set in, the snow finally gone and trees beginning to bud with green. She hated the snow. It was like a weight lifted off her shoulders just to see some sunlight and greenery again. The winters were so much colder in this city, but she could stand it when it meant having people like Bow and Glimmer with her. 

She had her own key to the shop after working there for the past few years. Stepping inside, the first thing she did was smile and nod at Angella’s portrait. The woman intimidated her in the beginning, when Glimmer dragged her by the hand to the front counter and introduced them, but it didn’t last long. Just in her time through high school, Angella had shown her more kindness than anyone had her entire life. The sting of her loss was still as sharp as anything, but Adora put on a brave face for Glimmer. Anything for Glimmer. 

Adora put herself to work cleaning every shelf and item in the shop. You never quite got rid of the dust in an old building like Brightmoon Magics, especially when Glimmer couldn’t clean the shop everyday by herself. Ever since Angella, Adora came in on most of her days off just to do whatever hadn’t been done when the shop was open. It became a habit when Glimmer first dropped out of college to focus on the business. 

Adora had a picture of them together in her wallet, grinning on a beach during the summer after graduation. Glimmer had her arms around Adora’s waist and was cuddled up to her side. She was carefree and passionate back then, with a fiery drive to fix the world and rebel against anything holding her back, even her mother. Adora still saw sparks of it in her eyes, but it was dampened and quiet and only ever directed towards fights. 

It was hard not to worry about her now.

It was impossible not to when she came home with her face smeared with blood. Adora frowned as she watched Glimmer clean her face off, doing her best to not fuss and failing. 

“God, Adora, calm down. You know I never lose a fight. Besides, they barely hit me.”

“Glimmer.” 

“What?”

“I know you’re lying.” 

Glimmer looked exhausted when she turned back to Adora. It made her heart ache. She held Glimmer on the couch and tried her best to provide her some comfort, trying to bring back that little spark of life no matter how useless it seemed. God, she worried about her. 

She held Glimmer tight before she left for the night. “Text us if you need us, okay?” she said. 

“Okay,” Glimmer mumbled. 

Although Adora hoped Glimmer would reach out, she didn’t think she knew how. 

Adora and Bow headed back towards the campus together, hands in their pockets and huddled against the chilly breeze. Bow sighed and glanced up at the starry sky. 

“I’m worried about her,” he said.

“I am, too,” Adora replied. “I don’t know how to help her. It’s been a year since Angella died and she seems worse than ever.”

“What can we do? We tried getting her to talk to someone and she quit after one session.” 

“Have you been going in more to help with the shop?”

“When I can. It’s hard to get down there for extra shifts with school and practice.” 

“I know. I don’t know what I’m going to do once the season starts.” 

“Do you think we should try getting her to a counselor again?”

“We’re talking about Glimmer, right? If she doesn’t want to do something then there’s no way we can convince her.” 

“Yeah, you’re right,” Bow sighed. “Maybe we could get her to take a few days off work. Even with us, she practically runs the store by herself.” 

“Maybe we can take her to Mystacor Beach once the weather warms up,” Adora suggested.

“Do you really think that going to see Castaspella will lower Glimmer’s stress?” 

“Okay, never mind.” 

Raucous laughter bounced off the buildings around them. Adora barely paid attention as a small group of people stumbled out into the street, led by a calm, lithe figure that only had the slightest smirk. They stepped into the glow of the streetlamp. Adora caught the leader’s eyes, mismatched and intensely focused. Both of them froze in their tracks. 

Adora growled. “Catra.”

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she sneered. “Hey, Adora.” 

“Why are you here?” 

“Am I not allowed to be?” 

“Adora?” Bow asked. “Who is that?”

“Bow, go home. I’ll catch up,” Adora said as her fists clenched. 

“What?”

“Just go.”

Glancing between the two women, Bow pursed his lips and turned to walk back the way he came, disappearing onto a little side street. Catra crossed her arms and tilted her head. Her gang formed a little circle around her. Three familiar faces stood out to Adora, but she ground her teeth and turned her eyes back to Catra.

Catra caught the reaction and raised an eyebrow. “You remember Lonnie, Kyle, and Rogelio, right?” she asked. 

A stocky girl with a ponytail of dreadlocks waved her hand, unsmiling. “I’m shocked,” she said. “For a while, we thought you were dead.” 

Catra leaned against a tall, broad shouldered woman with red scars on her arms. “Oh, and the big gal here is Scorpia,” she said. The woman scowled. “I don’t think you two ever met.” 

“Why are you here?” Adora demanded. 

“And we’re back to that.” Catra nudged Scorpia’s side. “Why don’t you guys go back to the house?” 

“Catra,” Scorpia began. 

“It’s fine,” Catra pressed. “Go. I’ll see you later.” 

Scowling at Adora, Scorpia turned and shepherded the bitter, glaring trio down the street. Adora waited until they were gone to step forward. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked. “I thought you said you would never leave the Fright Zone.” 

“You’re still calling Scorpion Crater ‘the Fright Zone?’” 

“You never called it anything else.”

“When I was ten. And yeah, we left. The home shut down after you disappeared.” 

“Good.” 

“Why does that matter to you?” Catra snapped. “You left and ended up in the big city. Doesn’t look like you did so bad for yourself, either.” She nodded to Adora’s jacket and smirked. “Despondos University, huh?”

“You don’t get to talk about my life!”

“Why not? I was only there for the better half of it.”

“You should have come with me if you were invested, then.” 

“Hey, you were the one that wanted to go make something of yourself.” 

“And you were the one that wanted to get involved in the mob.”  
“First, it was never the mob and you don’t know what you’re talking about. Second, you’re not any better, so stop acting like you are!” 

Adora opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her tongue. She bit the inside of her cheek and took a breath. “I’m not going to fight with you in the middle of the street,” she said through gritted teeth. “Why are you in Etheria, anyway?” 

“We’re performing here for a while before our tour gets started up.” Catra narrowed her eyes. “Remember when all you wanted was to be a rock star? We were going to have  _ everyone’s _ eyes on us! That’s what  _ you  _ said would happen!” 

“Yeah, and then I grew up.” 

“I had to grow up a lot faster than you in that place and you fucking know it.” 

“Whatever.” Adora turned to leave. 

Catra grabbed her arm, long black nails digging into her skin through her jacket. “You’re really going to leave me with that?” 

Adora stopped. She had spent years trying to remove that part of her life from her mind, forgetting all the turmoil and trauma and criminal dealings from her childhood. She wanted to erase that ghost town and the people that raised her and all the terrible things she witnessed, even if that meant leaving behind her best friends, too. She built a life for herself. She made something of herself when she shouldn’t have been worth anything. There were things - there were  _ people _ \- that you had to give up for that. 

She lifted her head but didn’t pull away. “Don’t acknowledge me if we see each other again. It’s better for both of us.” 

Catra laughed ruefully, cold and hollow. Her hand trailed down Adora’s arm and over her fingers as she let go. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

Adora barely restrained herself from running away down the street. When she reached the corner, Bow popped out from a hiding spot in the doorway of a store. Adora jumped and stifled a scream. 

“Who was that?” he whispered. 

“Someone I knew a long time ago,” Adora answered. 

“From where you came from?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Whoa.” Bow thought for a moment and grabbed Adora’s hand. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

“No. I don’t even want to think about it.” 

“Okay. Come on, let’s get back.” 

“Adora, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just… wasn’t expecting to see her again.”

Bow squeezed her hand, offering his best comforting smile as he tugged her along. They returned to their dorms in silence and hugged goodbye before they went to their separate complexes. 

Perfuma was still awake when Adora walked in, flipping through a botany textbook as she examined her plants. She looked up as Adora flopped onto her bed. The girl’s typically carefree face was drawn tight with concern. 

“You saw Glimmer, right?” she asked. “Did she tell you what happened?”

“About the fight? Yeah, she told me.”

“Okay. Mermista called to check on her, just in case.” 

“She’s okay. She says it wasn’t really a fight, and I could only see a bloody nose, so…” Adora shrugged. “She’s fine.”

“That’s good,” Perfuma sighed. Adora turned away. “You can turn the light off if you want. I’ll turn on my desk lamp.” 

“It’s fine.” 

“Alright.” 

Adora got changed while Perfuma had her back turned and climbed into bed. Her thoughts raced a thousand miles a minute, violently swinging from concern for Glimmer to old pain and rage welling up after seeing Catra. It made her hands tremble as she tossed and turned throughout the night. When the tossing grew tiresome, she stared at the wall in the dark, listening to Perfuma snore across the room, and fell into a restless sleep. 

She woke up to a text from Glimmer that read,  _ Mermista wants to know if you want to go out friday. _

_ Can’t,  _ she wrote back.  _ Study group. _

Glimmer sent her three sparkly hearts. Adora smiled to herself and replied with three blue hearts of her own. It was enough to calm her mind, at least for a while. 

\---

The week dragged by until it felt like a month. Adora distracted herself with class and training and getting ready for tryouts. It was the only thing that managed to get her mind off of Catra. It had been years since she so much as thought about her old life, outside of all the nightmares that used to plague her sleep. 

She could barely keep her eyes open during her study group, nestled in the silence and dim light of the university library. Once it was finally over, she shouldered her heavy bag and headed out. Her schedule for the day was so packed that she hardly had time to train. She trekked through campus to the dorm buildings with her back hunched over, no matter how much she knew her back would hurt in the morning. 

Halfway home, her phone buzzed in her pocket. A picture of Bow’s smiling face illuminated the screen. “Hey, Bow,” she said, leaning against a streetlamp.

“Glimmer’s missing!” Bow screamed. 

“Bow, what?” she asked, startled.

“I-I don’t know what happened!” His voice was high pitched and cracked every other word as he stammered. “She stayed long enough to watch the band perform and then said she had a headache and wanted to leave but she told me to stay. She said she would call me as soon as she got home. It’s only a short walk and I-I thought she’d be fine!” 

Adora’s heart stopped. “Bow, wait, slow down.”

“She didn’t call, Adora! I waited and waited and then it was thirty minutes after she left and she still didn’t call. I tried texting her and calling her but she didn’t answer, so I left and stopped by the store to check on her and she’s not here! I can’t get ahold of her and I have no idea where she is! Adora, we have to start looking for her!”

“Okay, stay at the store! I’m coming right now!” 

Adora’s blood froze in her veins as she took off running. She knew she had to calm down before Bow saw and freaked out even worse, but she couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. 

_ Please be okay, _ she prayed as she sprinted across town.  _ Glimmer, please be okay! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra has a past to fight in Etheria, and a certain pastel punk that keeps popping up doesn't make forgetting it any easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight trigger warning for intrusive thoughts while driving at the end.

The water ran pink as Catra washed the blood from her hands. Her knife sat on the counter beside her, scrubbed clean and disinfected. Her knuckles were split open from the short fight. She focused on her hands as Scorpia paced behind her, arms crossed, still wearing her outfit from the performance. 

Catra wanted to shout at her to stop pacing, but she really couldn’t blame her for being worried. She disappeared after the performance, which already made Scorpia worried, and then showed up covered in blood with a knife and some battered pink stranger in her arms. Now, said stranger was asleep in her bed on the other side of the cramped, rickety house. For once, Scorpia had a right to be concerned. 

“You’re sure that no one saw you?” she asked as Catra dried her hands. “Catra, what if someone calls the cops?”

“No one is going to call the cops,” Catra said. 

“Are you sure?”

“It was dark, no one was around, and none of them cared to look at me. They were too busy bleeding out. Besides, what are they going to say if they do call? The four of us were kicking the shit out of some girl and one random person came over and took down all of us?”

“Maybe.”

Catra snorted. “Not gonna happen. I swear, we’re fine.” 

Scorpia made an uneasy sound in the back of her throat and wrung her hands. She glanced in the direction of the bedroom. “Why did you get involved, anyway?” 

“What do you mean by that?” 

“I mean, it is a little out of character for you.” 

Catra pursed her lips and shrugged, keeping her back to Scorpia. “She needed help.” 

“Are you okay?” Scorpia turned Catra and cupped her face, squinting at her. “Are you feeling sick?”

“No! Get off me!” Catra swatted her hands away. “Look, as soon as the girl wakes up, she’s out of here. And besides, I met her earlier this week and now I can call in a favor. It’s always a good idea to have friends in a new city, right?” 

“I guess.”

“Come on, you trust me, don’t you?” 

“Of course.” 

“Good.” Catra patted Scorpia’s shoulder as she stepped around her. “Nice job during the show, by the way. Go get some sleep.” 

“Thanks, Catra! Night.”

“Night.” 

Catra watched Scorpia until she shut her bedroom door behind her. Running her hands through her messy hair, she grabbed her knife from the counter and looked at her reflection in the blade. She knew where she stabbed those thugs; they wouldn’t die if they got to a hospital. She slipped the weapon into her pocket and went to her bedroom. 

The girl from the magic shop was still unconscious. Rogelio helped bandage her up, glaring at Catra standing over him the entire time while Lonnie raged about stabbing strangers “for some punk princess,” as she put it. 

The worst of the wounds on her face were covered, but smaller scrapes and cuts were still visible. The few spots of blood soaking through her sparkly shirt were tiny and superficial, so Rogelio left those alone and focused on her face and arms. Most of the wounds were bruises, anyway. The girl had turned onto her side in her sleep, her jacket lying beside her, face battered and exhausted but somehow peaceful in the dim lamplight.

Catra crossed her arms as she narrowed her eyes, nails digging into her biceps. Scorpia’s questions ran through her head. Sure, the girl needed help, but Catra wasn’t going to lie to herself about it. She saw that portrait behind the counter in the magic shop. 

She knew that face. It had haunted her for over a year now, since the last time she was dragged to Etheria on business. It wasn’t her choice to be back, even if she had convinced her bandmates that it was. If she had any say, she would write the city out of her mind and never come back, never think about the place or what happened here ever again. But now, with this girl lying in her bed and the image of the portrait from the shop in her mind, she couldn’t forget any of it. 

Adora suddenly showing up didn’t help with anything, either. No matter what else she tried to scrub from her thoughts, Adora always stayed. Every waking moment, she was there nagging in the back of Catra’s head. It made her blood boil in her veins as she clenched her jaw, suddenly ready to tear the next wisetalker in her path to shreds. 

The girl’s phone buzzed on the bedside table. Catra cringed. It had been going off since before they even arrived at the house, and the noise drove her insane. Stepping into the room with a sigh, she grabbed the phone to see if she could put it on silent. 

_ Someone must love her, _ she thought as she turned the phone on.

Adora’s face lit the screen. Catra froze. She was sure she was hallucinating for a moment, but the picture didn’t disappear. Her fingers curled into talons as the phone continued to buzz, barely restraining herself from declining the call. She set the phone down before she crushed it by accident. 

Once the phone finally stopped ringing, she figured out how to put it on silent and flipped it facedown on the table. She stepped back and took a shaky breath. Her eyes fell on the sleeping girl. 

A portrait of that woman was hanging in the girl’s store.  _ Adora  _ had been calling her nonstop since Catra found her. 

Catra narrowed her eyes. “Who are you?” 

The girl didn’t stir. Gritting her teeth, she exhaled sharply and stepped out of the room, closing the door halfway behind her. 

She sat at the card table in the middle of the kitchen and arched over the back of the folding chair. Her phone rang once. She answered before it could ring again. It was never a good idea to keep this particular caller waiting. 

“Hello?”

“Catra.” Hordak’s raspy voice cut through the speaker. “Have you settled in Etheria yet?”

“We just got everything situated. I was about to call you.”

“You were planning to call me at such hours of the night?”

Catra swallowed hard. “The show ran late, sir. My apologies.” 

“Are you lying to me?”

“Of course not, sir.” 

“Good. When can I expect your payment?”

“We get the check next week.” 

“I will remind you once that I expect every payment to be on time. It is proving expensive to fund this endeavor of yours.”

“I understand.” 

“And remember that you must always be available should I have business for you to conduct in the city.”

“Yes, sir.” 

“You claimed to have missed when I said to call on account of your performance running late?”

“It did.”

“In the future, you will inform me of any such instances  _ beforehand _ . Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You have served me well thus far, Catra. I expect this trend to continue.”

Catra clenched her fist and snarled at the table, but her voice was level and calm. “Thank you, sir.”

“Are there any other setbacks you would like to report to me now?” Hordak asked.

Her eyes flickered towards the room where the girl lie sleeping. She thought of the woman in the portrait. Her decision had to be quick; any hesitation would be obvious to the ruthless man on the other end of the line. 

“No sir.” 

“Excellent. We will be in touch.”

The line went dead. Catra dropped her phone to the table and shoved it away. Scratching the back of her neck, she grabbed an opened, half empty energy drink from the fridge. She had been functioning on the same level of exhaustion since she was fourteen, but she didn’t want to take the chance of being asleep when the girl woke up. Getting jumped and then waking up alone in a strange house did not lend itself to any good outcomes. 

As if on cue, Catra heard groaning as soon as she finished the drink. Tossing the can in the trash, she stepped into her bedroom. The girl propped herself up on one arm, holding a hand to her head. Her eyebrows were drawn together, eyes screwed shut, and she sucked in a sharp breath through her teeth as she prodded a bandage on her head. Her eyes fluttered open as Catra stood in the doorway. 

The girl yelped. Scrambling back, she pressed her back against the headboard and smacked her head off it in the process. Catra just stood in the doorway and tilted her head. It took a moment for the girl to calm down, still breathing hard as her eyes roved over Catra. Their eyes locked. An infinitesimal bit of tension left her shoulders.

“You,” she said. 

“Me,” Catra replied. The girl's odd reaction drew a tiny smirk from her. “How do you feel?”

“Fine.” The girl looked her up and down. “Where am I?” 

“My place.”

“Where?”

“West side. Not far from downtown.” Catra took a few steps into the room. The girl turned to follow her movements. “You took quite the beating back there.” 

She held her side and grimaced. “What happened?” 

“I took care of them and brought you here to patch you up.”

“Why not a hospital?”

“I don’t like them, you weren’t dying, and they’re expensive. You really don’t know what anyone’s money situation is like these days.”

The girl nodded slowly. “I should probably get health insurance, now that I think about it,” she mumbled to herself. Catra chuckled. “Thank you for helping me.” 

Catra didn’t respond. She stepped around to perch at the foot of the bed. The girl drew her knees up her chest and watched Catra over them, torn between gratefulness and suspicion. Catra didn’t blame her; she would have reacted the same way. She didn’t risk a handshake. “I’m Catra,” she said. 

“Glimmer,” the girl introduced herself as. 

Catra raised an eyebrow. “Is that your real name?”

Glimmer frowned. “Is Catra your real name?” 

Catra chuckled. “Fair. Alright then. Glimmer. How did you end up getting the shit beat out of you outside some little club in the middle of the night? Did you piss off your coven or something?”

“Because I work in a magic store. Funny,” Glimmer deadpanned. Catra tilted her head at the little push, fighting a smirk. “I ran into two of them earlier in the week at a party. They came after me and lost the first time, so then they got some friends and tried again.”

“And won.”

“Yeah.” 

“Not much of a fight.” 

“Not until you showed up.” 

Catra grew hyper aware of the knife in her pocket. She shrugged one shoulder and stood. “Well, now that you’re awake, I can bring you home whenever you want. You can stay the night here if you need it or I can drive you. Answer your phone first, though. It’s been going off for awhile.” 

Glimmer nodded and reached for the cellphone as Catra stepped out. She closed the door and stood off to the side, able to hear Glimmer through the thin walls. 

“Adora? Hey, yeah, I’m fine… I ran into those people from Mermista’s party again and… No, no, it’s okay. I know it’s been hours. Someone I know brought me to the hospital just to get patched up and I couldn’t really pay attention to my phone.” 

_ Lying to calm her down? _ Catra thought.  _ Guess Adora hasn’t changed much.  _

“It was just someone I know,” Glimmer continued. “Yeah, I’m totally fine. It wasn’t bad, they just gave me a few bandages… Adora, you don’t have a car. Listen, I can catch a ride home. Just meet me at the store, okay? I’ll be there in a little bit… Yeah, okay, Adora. I’ll see you then.” 

Catra stepped over to the table before Glimmer walked out of the room. She caught the limp Glimmer tried to hide as the shorter girl slipped her jacket on and popped the collar. “I’m assuming you’re taking me up on the ride?” Catra asked. 

“Please,” Glimmer said. 

“Where to?”

“The magic store.” 

Catra grabbed her keys and tossed a cropped leather jacket over her shoulders. “Let’s go, Sparkles.”

“Sparkles?”

“Hey, it fits.”

The band owned an old van with their logo emblazoned across the side. It shook slightly as they drove through the city, quiet rock music playing over the radio. Glimmer faced forward with her head leaning on the window. Catra glanced at her out of the corner of her eye to find Glimmer already watching. Both turned their eyes forward when they saw the other looking. 

“Thanks again for helping me,” Glimmer mumbled.

“Don’t mention it,” Catra replied. 

“Is there anything I can do to pay you back or something?” 

“Why?”

“I feel like I should.” 

Catra smirked. “Maybe you can give me a discount on some crystals next time I check out the store,” she joked. Glimmer smiled. Catra decided she liked it when the girl smiled. “So, do you own that place or just work there?” 

“Both. It was my parents’ but my friends and I manage it now.” 

“They retire?”

“They’re both dead.” 

_ That woman must be her mother,  _ Catra thought. “Mine too. I think, anyway,” she said. Glimmer turned to her for a moment, eyes roving over her, before she looked away again. “Your friend, is it that kid that was at the club with you? The one with the crop top?”

“Yeah, that’s Bow.”

“He knows that it’s only like, fifty degrees during the day, right?”

Glimmer snickered. “He always wears that.” 

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” 

They pulled onto Glimmer’s street. Catra held a hand out and glanced her way. “Hey, I’m performing at the Crystal Castle for a while. You should come catch me after a show sometime.”

Glimmer hesitated for a moment before taking Catra’s hand. “I’ll see when I’m free next,” she said. 

“Cool.” 

Catra parked on the side of the street by the store. Adora and the boy with the crop top stood outside on the sidewalk, the former pacing around and the latter biting his thumbnail. When Glimmer stepped out, they flew to her and immediately wrapped them in her arms, fretting and fussing over her. Glimmer held onto Adora for a moment before waving both of them off. Catra left the car running and stepped out as Glimmer said something to them, leaning over the hood. 

Adora caught sight of her and snarled, but Glimmer spoke up before she could do anything. “Catra, these are my friends Adora and Bow,” she said. “Guys, this is Catra. She sorta saved me tonight.” 

“We’ve met,” Adora growled, putting an arm around Glimmer’s shoulder and holding her close. Catra glanced at Adora’s hand and met her eyes, an obvious gesture after memorizing each other’s every mannerism over the years. Adora pulled Glimmer closer. 

Bow stepped forward. “Thanks,” he said. “We’re really more grateful than we can say. Not many people would help a stranger like that.”

Catra shrugged. “Eh, we’re acquaintances. It’s nothing.”

“Well, it’s something to us,” Bow said with a smile. Catra just watched him. Was he always this friendly? “So, thanks.”

Catra nodded and stepped back to her door. “Alright. Feel better, Sparkles,” she said. Glimmer rolled her eyes, and Catra smirked. That nickname was definitely going to stay. She noticed Adora still glaring at her and nodded once. “Adora.”

“Catra.” 

With one last smirk, Catra slid into her seat and waved as she drove off. In the rearview mirror, she watched Adora and Bow pull Glimmer close to them before she turned onto another street. 

Her phone chimed. She opened it to find a message from Hordak about a job: collect from a reluctant debtor on the east side and send the payment in with her own. 

Catra threw the phone to the floor with a snarl of disgust. Her knuckles turned white from her grip on the steering wheel, hate flaring in her chest as she clenched her teeth. She couldn’t stand to be in these situations, at his beck and call whenever he needed an intimidator or a hitman to take care of his dirty work. There were times when she thought about crushing the phone beneath her heel and running away from it all, just living her life with her music and her band, but he would find her. He had spies all over the country. The only way to get away from him was turning her car off the side of a bridge. 

She had thought about it more than a few times. A sharp turn and she would be gone. But for some reason, she held back. There was always something that held her back. 

Taking a deep breath, she managed to make it back to the house and took the keys out of the admission. With one hand by her side and the other on the wheel, she rested her forehead against the top of the ring and closed her eyes. 

She came back to this city and the first person she met was that woman’s daughter. And she was best friends with Adora! That had to mean something. It had to. Whether it was karma or just some cruel trick, it couldn’t be coincidence. 

She hoped Glimmer would come to meet her at a show. Part of her was curious; she had to see where this situation led her. 

Mostly, she had to get rid of the nagging voice in the back of her head. She didn’t care about anything else. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer goes back to the club to watch Catra perform.

Adora stayed at the apartment even after Bow had left. She paced around Glimmer’s bedroom while Glimmer sat on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes and prodded the bruises and abrasions on her torso, her mind stuck on the sly woman that rescued her from the fight. She swore she had seen blood on Catra’s boots before they got in the car. 

“When did you start talking to Catra?” Adora asked, stopping beside her. 

“She came into the shop a few days ago and we talked a little bit,” Glimmer answered. 

“You know she’s a punk, right? She’s nothing but a dangerous bad idea.” 

“Wait, Adora, how do you even know her? Why are you freaking out so much after she just saved me from getting my ass kicked?” 

Adora looked down at Glimmer, eyes tracing the cuts and bruises all over her. Glimmer turned away. Adora sat next to her, her body angled in as she leaned close. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind Glimmer’s ear. Glimmer glanced up, and Adora smiled gently. Adora was always gentle. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. 

“You’re changing the subject,” Glimmer huffed. 

“You’d know,” Adora said. 

“Adora!”

“I’m just worried about you!”

“You’re always worried about me!” 

“Can you blame me?” Adora tilted her chin up, brushing a thumb across a scrape on Glimmer’s jaw. “You give me a lot to be worried about, Glim. Especially when things like this keep happening.”

“I got into a fight.”

“You got beat up!” Adora said. Glimmer bowed her head. Adora sighed and rubbed Glimmer’s back, holding her close as Glimmer leaned into her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to turn into a fight.”

“I know,” Glimmer mumbled.

“Do you feel alright? I know you already went to the hospital but, well, you know.”

Glimmer cringed internally. She shouldn’t have lied to Adora, but she was already losing her mind. If she knew that Glimmer had passed out and woken up in a dangerous stranger’s house, especially  _ this  _ stranger it seemed, it would just make her more overbearing than usual. She couldn’t deal with that tonight. 

In reality, everything hurt like hell, but Adora didn’t need to know that. Knowing her, she could already tell, anyway. Glimmer kept her mouth shut and closed her eyes as she nuzzled against Adora. 

“You don’t have class tomorrow, right?” she asked. 

“No, nothing on the weekends,” Adora replied. 

“Do you want to stay over? You still have some clothes here from the last time you spent the night.” 

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go get changed.” 

Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose after Adora stepped into the bathroom. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her body was covered in tender bruises, and she knew it would only hurt worse when she woke up tomorrow. She pulled on a clean shirt that covered her torso and most of her arms, hiding the majority of the marks just so Adora wouldn’t freak out more than she already was. 

She sat on the windowsill and lit a cigarette. Adora came back just as she was finishing it, frowning as she let her blond hair out of its ponytail. 

“I thought you stopped that?” she asked. 

“I don’t even smoke one every day,” Glimmer lied. “It’s fine.”

“Glimmer-”

“Adora, please, not tonight.”

“I… okay.” 

They slipped under the covers, lying on their sides and facing each other. Glimmer shifted close and held Adora’s hand between them, closing her eyes. Adora touched her cheek. 

“You’re really okay?” she whispered. 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Adora squeezed her hand. She smiled. Just before she fell asleep, she swore she felt Adora kiss her forehead, but it was forgotten by morning. 

\---

The Crystal Castle was loud and crowded as usual. Adora and Bow had their own plans, but they were under the impression that she had none. She knew it was probably a bad idea to be out when no one knew where she was, especially considering last week’s events. She knew she should care. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to give a damn. She heard Adora’s voice in the back of her head, telling her to be more concerned about her own safety, but she pushed it away. 

Glimmer went straight to the bar. She shouldn’t have been drinking. She shouldn’t have been smoking, either, but “shouldn’t” never stopped her. 

Entrapta grinned when she approached. “Bow’s friend!” she exclaimed. “Whiskey on the rocks, coming up.”

“Uh, thanks,” Glimmer said. “How did you remember that?”

“Well you came in with Bow last time so I-”

“I mean the drink.”

“Your hair is distinct. I remember distinct people,” Entrapta explained. Glimmer nodded and took the glass. “Is Bow here with you?”

“No, not tonight.”

“That’s too bad. I wanted to run a project idea by him. Tell him to email me if you see him.”

“Sure.” 

Glimmer found a spot by the wall as the band came onstage. Her grip on her drink tightened when Catra stood in front, bringing another round of screaming applause. There was something about her, a presence that commanded the room the moment she walked through the door and opened her arms. Glimmer was not immune to that. 

She knew it was strange. Some outrageous musician shows up in her store and then saves her from getting killed in the same week, seemingly for nothing, and now she was here to see her again for a reason she couldn’t find. She wondered if that could be a part of it; trying to figure out exactly why Glimmer couldn’t get Catra and her smirk and her confidence and her bloody boots out of her head. She was convinced that she would go insane if she left the mystery in her thoughts to rot. 

Adora’s hostility and subsequent refusal to talk only made the longing for answers worse. 

Aside from all the uncertainties, Glimmer knew one thing: she loved Catra’s voice. There was a raspy, raw quality to the notes she sang, a growl in her lower register that set heat blossoming in Glimmer’s chest and raised goosebumps over her arms. She poured indescribable emotion into her voice and the lyrics of her song as the other musicians supported her with haunting, unbridled vocals. It sent the entire club into a roaring frenzy. 

Glimmer was no exception. Catra finished a song and pushed her hair out of her face, baring her sharp teeth with a manic smile. When Glimmer met her intense mismatched eyes, it drew a genuine grin from her for the first time in months. 

Catra laughed over the cheers after the set ended. “You guys are amazing as always!” she said. “Thank you and goodnight!” 

Glimmer waited for Catra by the bar. The taller woman slipped through the crowd, smiling as she stood before Glimmer. Entrapta passed Catra a drink as Glimmer sat on a stool, facing the crowd. Catra leaned against the bar beside her. 

“You were awesome,” she said as Catra sipped her drink.

Catra smirked. “Thanks. Are you here alone or are your friends lurking around somewhere?”

“Not that I know of.” 

Catra hummed, sipping her drink. “I wasn’t quite sure if you’d come. You seemed a little spooked the last time we saw each other.” 

“We weren’t exactly in the best circumstances last time we saw each other.” 

“Very true. Your face looks a lot better.”

“Gee, thanks.” 

Catra laughed. “You’ve got a sarcastic streak, don’t you, Sparkles?”

“I try.” 

“I like it.”

Glimmer smiled, but it disappeared in a moment. “I’ve got a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“How do you know Adora? You two seemed to really hate each other.” 

Catra raised an eyebrow. “I thought she would have told you. No wonder you came back.”

“What?”

Catra laughed once, sharp and quick, and turned back to her drink. “Bad joke. Adora and I knew each other a long time ago. We grew up together in a private group home a long way from here but had a bit of a falling out when she bolted.” 

“When I met Adora, she said she was a homeless drifter that came from nowhere.”

“Yeah, well that was her own choice and her own  _ fault _ ,” Catra spat. Glimmer frowned, watching the sudden violence in her expression, but within a moment Catra’s face had smoothed back into its typical sly smirk. She lifted her drink. “How about this. You buy me a few more of these and once I start slurring my speech, I will talk about Adora. Or, better yet, we talk about anything else.”

“Alright.”

“Great. Also,  _ she  _ hates  _ me _ .”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about her?”

Catra leaned in quickly, but Glimmer didn’t move. Catra chuckled. “Sarcastic and a smartass. You’re direct, I’ll give you that.” 

“Thanks?” 

Grinning behind her glass, Catra threw back the rest of her drink and slammed the cup down on the bar. “Take a walk with me.”

“Where?”

“Through the city. The past several places I’ve been were a lot smaller than Etheria and I like the way big cities are at night when all the lights come on.” Catra smiled, eyes glinting. “It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

Glimmer returned the smile. “Yeah, it is.” Glimmer hopped off the stool. “Okay, let’s go.”

Catra followed Glimmer out of the bar. “You’re not really all that careful, are you?”

“Who cares about being careful?” 

Shoving her hands into her pockets, Catra grinned. “Famous last words.”

Glimmer learned a lot about Catra as they strolled through the glowing city together. Catra and all the other band members grew up in a ghost town called Scorpion Crater, which they lovingly dubbed “the Fright Zone.” Catra always loved to sing and taught herself to play guitar with a broken instrument she pulled out of a trash heap. Catra hated mice. Catra’s favorite color was red. Catra would listen to anything as long as she liked the lyrics and could sing along. 

Over everything, Glimmer learned that Catra was incomprehensibly cynical. 

“Sometimes shit happens and it just makes you worse,” she said as they walked, kicking a pebble into the gutter. “Kelly Clarkson got it wrong. It fucking sucks and you can’t change it and people suck and you can’t change them either.” 

“Yeah,” Glimmer agreed. She pulled her jacket collar higher around her neck as her smile faded. “I get where you’re coming from.”

“You, Sparkles?” 

“Yeah, me. My, uh, my mom. She’s the woman whose portrait is hanging up in my store.”

Catra nodded. “I saw that. That’s your mother?”

Glimmer hummed. “She died about a year ago. Some junkie shot her during a mugging.” 

“Did they catch him?”

“Yeah, and then they let him go. They didn’t have enough evidence.” Glimmer’s hands trembled as they curled into fists, tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t know why she was telling Catra about this; she barely knew this woman. But still, something about her seemed to drag all of Glimmer’s troubles out of her.

Glimmer startled at Catra’s fingertips against her cheek. She glanced up, eyes wide as Catra brushed her hair out of her eyes. Catra’s expression was calm and thoughtful as her sharp nails traced Glimmer’s jawline. 

“I’ve seen that,” she said quietly. “People not getting what they deserve. Sometimes it’s better to take things into your own hands.” Glimmer didn’t respond, watching Catra’s eyes flicker with the ghost of something hidden and dark. She smiled just enough to flash one of her unusually sharp teeth. “You look a little scared, Sparkles.”

Glimmer pushed Catra’s hand away as she returned to reality. “I’m not scared of anyone, especially not you.”

Catra laughed. It bounced off the buildings of the desolate city. She opened her mouth to speak, but her phone chimed and cut her off. All the humor in her expression disappeared as she read the text message. 

“Son of a bitch,” she growled. She returned her phone to her pocket and stood in front of Glimmer. “I think your place is nearby, right? I would get heading home considering how late it is.” 

“Do you have to go?”

“Yeah. I, uh… Scorpia needs me.” Catra paused, smiling as a thought occurred to her. “Here, give me your phone for a second.” Glimmer handed Catra her phone. Catra typed in her number and smiled as she handed it back to Glimmer, eyes glinting. “Call me sometime and we’ll meet up.”

Glimmer smiled. “Sounds good.” 

Catra grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before they parted ways. Glimmer hurried home, grinning the whole time.

The next day, Glimmer found herself smiling as she went about business in the store. Adora stood behind the counter, sorting a new delivery while business was slow. She noticed the happiness on Glimmer’s face as Glimmer stepped around her to grab something under the counter. 

“You look happy,” Adora remarked. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Glimmer rubbed the back of her neck. “One of the good days, I guess.”

“I’m glad.” Adora put an arm around her and held her close. Glimmer wrapped her arms around Adora’s waist. “It’s good to see you smiling again.”

“Yeah,” Glimmer mumbled.  _ You would hate the reason why, though,  _ she thought. “Probably because it’s getting closer to summer.”

“Do you need any extra help around the store? I know once business picks back up it can get a little overwhelming.”

“I’m fine.” Glimmer let go of Adora and returned to her work. “You and Bow are already doing a bunch of extra stuff.”

“Well, yeah, but we’re always here to help.” 

“I know.”

“Glim, really. I’m always here for you.”

Glimmer paused and turned back to her, offering a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, Adora. I know I’ve been a little weird lately but I’m fine.” 

“I know,” Adora said, following after her, “I just get worried about you. I still really wish you would see someone.”

“I don’t need a therapist.”

“I’m not saying you need one, I’m just saying that it can be good to vent to someone and work through things.”

Glimmer’s smile disappeared. “Adora, I’m not going back to that stupid doctor.” 

Adora stopped, taking a step back and holding her hands up. “Okay.”

Kicking herself, Glimmer pursed her lips and turned away from the sadness in Adora’s eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

“No, don’t be. I’m sorry I pushed it.” Adora touched her shoulder. When she didn’t pull away, she put her arms around the smaller girl. “Just forget I said anything. Today is a good day, right? Let’s hold onto that.” 

Glimmer sighed. “Okay.” 

She leaned back into the embrace. Adora held her tighter. 

\---

Glimmer and Catra sat in the back of the band’s van on a hill overlooking the city. Five meetings had already passed them by, two at the club and three hanging around the city, their discussions growing less restrained as they spent hours with each other. It weighed down on Glimmer that she hadn’t told Adora about any of it. 

In that time, Glimmer learned that Catra was an ass as well as a cynic. The vast majority of their conversations consisted of teasing and underhanded jabs, where Catra learned that Glimmer had as sharp a tongue as she did. There were times where an outsider would have thought they were being downright malicious, but every insult was met with laughter in the end.

Looking over the city, they shared a joint and a couple of beers, joking with each other as they tossed rocks down into the sand pit below. Finishing a drink, Catra grabbed a weathered acoustic guitar and leaned against the doorway of the van, facing Glimmer. 

“Hey, tell me a song,” she said, eyes half closed from the drugs. “I’ll see if I know it.”

“Is that your first guitar?” Glimmer asked as she gestured to the scraped wood. 

“Nah, that fell about years ago. This is the first real one I ever got, though. Now come on, give me a song.” 

“Okay! Uh… damn, I can’t think of anything.”

“Tell me a band.”

“Do you know anything by The Crane Wives?”

Catra raised an eyebrow as she grinned. “You like The Crane Wives?”

“Yeah, they’re amazing.”

“I fucking love them! Okay, okay, what’s a good song from them?” Catra picked out a few notes, and her grin softened into a thoughtful smirk. She shifted closer to Glimmer. “Got it.” 

The guitar in the song was fast and light, minor chords cutting through as Catra leaned into the music. Her rough voice carried the notes with harsh emotion, stirring heat and longing in Glimmer’s chest, dragging all her buried emotions to the surface. Catra closed her eyes as she sang. The lyrics lilted over her tongue, lips curling to flash her fangs as emotion poured from her. The toiling storm in her eyes clung to every verse, every refrain, growing from a pit in her heart as it pulled Glimmer into the fray. Within moments, Glimmer found herself drowning. 

As her voice faded and the final notes left the guitar, the girls found themselves so close they were nearly touching. Catra set the instrument aside. Glimmer swallowed hard and finally found her words. 

“That was beautiful,” she said. 

Catra chuckled, but her eyes didn’t smile. “It’s not meant to be beautiful. It’s a warning, if anything. Did you listen to the lyrics?” 

“I listened to your voice. That’s what’s beautiful to me.” 

Catra shifted the hand she was leaning on so her arm was behind Glimmer, their shoulders pressing together as mismatched eyes met a lilac gaze. Glimmer felt butterflies in her stomach, but Catra, on the other hand, felt her chest tighten. 

She had run into Adora earlier in the week walking through the city. They barely spoke a word, only cold greetings of each other’s names spat onto the pavement. If Adora told Glimmer about it, Glimmer hadn’t said anything. If Glimmer told Adora about any of their meetings, Catra knew she would have probably been dead within an hour of Adora finding out. 

A part of Catra wanted Adora to know, anything to piss her off. Another part felt like she was getting away with something with Adora not knowing. But above it all, every part of her wanted to be near Glimmer. 

She took a deep breath as Glimmer’s hand brushed her leg. “You know you’ve only known me for a month, right?” she asked. “I don’t trust people that fast, especially not when their friends want me dead.”

“Adora doesn’t want you dead.”

“Sparkles.” 

“Okay maybe a little but who cares? She doesn’t even know you and I are friends.” 

Catra shifted closer. “We’re friends?”

“Are we?” 

Raising her eyebrows, Catra tilted Glimmer’s chin up. “It’s your call.” 

Glimmer pressed her face against Catra’s and kissed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go look up "Tongues and Teeth" it is my favorite song ever and fits Catra so well.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra's past in Etheria comes back to haunt her and forces her to catch up with some old friends. Glimmer's friendship with Adora makes it harder for Catra to fulfill her motives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot!

Catra tangled her hands in Glimmer’s hair. She tasted like strawberries and smoke, soft hands tugging Catra closer by her collar. There was a rush behind the kiss, a passion and warmth that felt right, but Catra couldn’t quite tell if the unrest in her gut was butterflies or nerves. No matter what reaction the kiss caused in her, it didn’t last nearly long enough. Catra broke away with a sharp heat in her chest as she stared into Glimmer’s wide eyes, fingers still twisted in hot pink hair. 

Catra smiled as Glimmer giggled, both of them devolving into laughter as they leaned against each other. “God, I think too high for this,” Glimmer said through her laughter. 

“You looked pretty sober just then,” Catra said. “Regretting me already?”

Glimmer didn’t catch the edge in her voice. “I still liked it.” 

“You did?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Good.” Catra kissed her again. It was harsher this time, more urgent. Glimmer held tight to Catra as she ended up on her back, with Catra’s hands on her waist and the taste of her on Glimmer’s lips. 

Glimmer gasped as Catra’s grip on her tightened. She planted her hands against Catra’s chest and pushed her back just enough to break the kiss. Catra frowned. “I know I’m too high for this,” Glimmer finally whispered. 

“Listen, Sparkles, if you don’t want this then we can just forget it happened,” Catra said. 

“No, it’s not that I… look, I just make stupid decisions when I’m like this sometimes,” Glimmer explained. “I don’t want to mess this up.” 

Catra laughed that cold, hollow laugh of hers as she bumped her nose against Glimmer’s. “Princess, you can’t mess things up with me.” She sat back and pulled Glimmer into her lap. “I’m okay if we leave it at this tonight. We can stupid decisions the next time we see each other. Sound good?” 

“Yeah, sounds good.” She wrapped her arms around Catra and closed her eyes. 

Catra’s smile faded as she cradled Glimmer’s head against her chest, and she couldn’t figure out why. She knew she was happy, or should be, but something held her back. As her phone buzzed in her pocket, she realized the weight dragging her mood through the mud. “I know this is like the worst time, but I need to get back,” she sighed. She fell back on her tried and true lie when work came calling during her time with Glimmer. “Scorpia and Lonnie have been giving me shit about being away lately.”

“I’m not keeping you from work, am I?”

“No, they’re just not used to me being out so much.” 

“Okay,” Glimmer said. Catra held onto her for a moment longer before they returned to the front seats. She rubbed her eyes as she started the car. “Wait, are you okay to drive?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve driven in a worse state before.” 

Catra drove back to the shop in silence, nodding along to the radio. She didn’t check her phone; she already knew who was messaging her and she didn’t want a chance of Glimmer seeing. She wanted to keep that bright smile on Glimmer’s face for as long as possible. 

The sun disappeared beneath the horizon just as they pulled up alongside the sidewalk. When Glimmer went to open the door, Catra grabbed her hand. “Hey, Sparkles?”

“Yeah?”

Catra pressed a fierce kiss to her lips. When she pulled back, Glimmer’s eyes were wide and her cheeks were dusted with red. Catra grinned. “I think I’m going to like that look you get,” she said as she tapped a finger against Glimmer’s cheek. 

Glimmer’s blush grew darker as she smiled. “Call me later?”

“You got it.” 

Glimmer smiled and squeezed Catra’s hand before she disappeared into the store. Catra’s smile faded as soon as Glimmer was out of sight. The engine roared as she took off down the street. She checked her phone for the address and nearly hit a garbage can in the process, but she knew where she needed to go. Reaching beneath her seat, she grabbed a pistol. 

She caught the guy just outside his apartment building. The gun was cold against her stomach, hidden in her waistband as she approached him with a cold grin. “Hey, Cole!” she called. “Come here, I need to talk to you.” 

The man stumbled to a stop, fear written across his face. With a scream starting in his throat, he turned on his heels and ran. Catra shouted after him and bolted, snagging the back of his collar and choking him as she yanked him to a stop. She tossed him face first into an alley and pulled the gun. 

“What the fuck was that, man?!” she hissed. “I’m trying to fucking talk to you and you try to run? You think that’s a good decision?”

“I-I-I’m sorry, I didn’t know who you were,” the man lied, scrambling back on his hands. 

“Oh, bullshit!” Catra stuck the gun in his face. “Do you think I’m stupid?” 

“No, no of course not.” 

“Then why the fuck are you lying?” 

“I’m not, I mean, I didn’t-”

Catra laughed and hit him upside the head with the butt of the pistol. He collapsed, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. “Wow, you are so much dumber than you look,” Catra chuckled. She crouched, inspecting the gun and cutting a sideways glance at the man. “So, listen, I don’t want to be here long because I, you know, I have a life and things to do. You owe a mutual friend of ours some money, right?” 

“I-I, uh…”

“Right?” Catra pressed. “I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t, so just say right.”

“Right.”

“Good. Now, there’s the matter of  _ getting  _ the money.”

“I don’t have it yet. I’ll have it in a few days, I swear. I was supposed to get a bonus and it didn’t come through,” the man explained. 

Catra hit him again. “Really! Again with the lying!”

“No! I swear to God, it’s the truth!” 

“You were supposed to have the money days ago. You know Hordak doesn’t give second chances.” 

“I know.”

“Obviously you don’t or I wouldn’t be here, would I?” 

The man lifted a trembling hand as if it would block a bullet. “I’ll have it by Friday, I promise.”

“You’ll bring it to me tomorrow. You’re going to get a message from a number you don’t know and you’re going to go where it says, when it says. After that you delete the conversation and the number. Understand?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I understand.” 

Catra smirked, rising from her crouch and holding her pistol up. “I don’t have to tell you what’ll happen if you’re late, right?”  
The man swallowed hard. “No, no, I got it.” 

“Good.” Catra kicked him savagely in the gut. He doubled over as all the air was forced from his lungs. “Swear on your life you won’t be late.” 

“I swear!” he choked out. 

Catra kicked him again. “Swear on your life!”

“I swear on my life!” 

“Good.” Part of Catra cringed, wondering how many times she had heard Hordak say the same thing in the same tone, but she pushed it away. “I will see you and your money tomorrow.” 

Catra shoved her gun in her waistband and left the man curled up on the ground in the alley. As she headed back towards the house, she called Hordak. 

“Catra,” the raspy voice greeted. 

“He’ll have the money tomorrow. I made sure of it. I’ll send it in as soon as I can,” Catra said.

“Excellent. I will be expecting the payment. Well done, Catra.”

“Thank you, sir.” She held the phone away to hang up, but Hordak’s voice stopped her. 

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember the incident we were involved in last year in Etheria?” 

Catra’s grip on the phone tightened as her stomach dropped. “What about it?”

“It seems there have been some rumors about it being looked into again. I am still waiting on a confirmation, but I thought it would be wise to tell you now.” 

Catra slowed down. She thought she was about to puke. “Is anything being done about it?” 

“Not at the moment. I will decide what actions to take once I have a confirmation. Be vigilant for anyone who might be a threat until I contact you again.” 

“Yes sir.”

Hordak hung up. Catra dropped her phone into the passenger seat where Glimmer had been sitting not an hour before. She stomped on the brakes, and the van came to a screeching halt in the middle of the street. Her nails made marks on the scuffed leather steering wheel. She was practically hyperventilating, lips pursed so tightly that they disappeared as a car honked and swerved around her. She flipped off the driver. 

Recovering some of her sense, she pulled over and put the vehicle in park. A violent string of curses slipped through her teeth. Of course this had to come up after she just got done making out with that woman’s daughter! If Hordak found out… 

No, he couldn’t find out. She couldn’t even consider that possibility. She needed a way to spin this if Hordak decided to send people in. 

_ He said be vigilant, _ she thought. What was more vigilant than spending so much time with the daughter and keeping an eye on who she was talking to? 

Glimmer already trusted her, that was obvious, and Bow seemed friendly enough that it would be easy to cozy up to him. But Adora was another story. Did Glimmer mention how long they had been friends? What did Adora know about this whole situation? What stakes did she have besides trying to fix Glimmer the way she did with everyone? 

That thought sent a surge of feral hate through her. Adora and her incessant meddling would be a problem, but not one she couldn’t handle. She just needed to find out how Adora was involved. She needed to keep her at a distance. 

That couldn’t be too hard, could it?

\---

Catra found her way to the magic store about a week after Glimmer kissed her. Hordak had yet to contact her about the  _ incident  _ again, only more assignments to visit, but the call weighed on her the entire week. She had to come up with a plan to keep Adora from snooping in her business if she was going to stay around Glimmer. Whether she had a clue about her present dealings or not, Adora knew her past far too well. 

As fate and her cruel sense of humor would have it, Catra found that keeping Adora at a distance would be harder than she previously thought. 

They locked eyes across the shop when Catra stepped through the door. Catra glanced at some woman looking through dried plants, and the ghost of a smirk tugged at her lips. Adora forced her best retail smile. Catra noticed the slight squint as she fought a scowl. She made herself busy looking over crystal pendulums as the other customer finished her purchase. As soon as the woman was out the door, Adora spoke up.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded. 

“I thought we went over that like a month ago,” Catra taunted. “Did you hit your head or something? I always knew you were dumb, but your memory was never this bad.” 

“In the store, what are you doing in the store?” Adora snapped. Catra noted that her voice still got that high squawking tone to it when she was frustrated. 

“I like it here.”

“You hate anything to do with magic. You always have.” 

Catra froze, a tiny crystal trapped between her sharpened nails. “Yeah, well, I’ve still got some old habits that I picked up from that woman, I guess.” 

Adora bowed her head as her fists clenched. “Catra, listen, I-”

“Don’t start.” There was a surprising lack of venom in her words. “Don’t act like you have any sympathy for me. Don’t act like you still know me! You have no idea what happened to me after you left!” 

This was already not going how she planned. 

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Adora protested. “I tried to get you to leave with me but you wanted to stay with those criminals!” 

“You  _ left  _ me with criminals! You left me with Shadow Weaver and disappeared and didn’t care to check if I was alive or dead for six years!” 

“You did that to yourself.”

“Oh, go fuck yourself, Adora!” 

“Stop screaming!” Adora stepped out from behind the counter. “This is Glimmer’s store. I’m not going to let you give her business a bad reputation because we’re here fighting and yelling swears at each other.” 

Catra huffed and turned away. “Whatever.”

Adora hesitated for a second before returning to her spot at the register. “Do you need help finding anything?”

“My band’s van has more storage space than this place, I don’t know how I could possibly miss anything.”

“That’s fair. You know, you seem like you did pretty well for yourself, all things considering. You’ve got Lonnie and the guys and that tall woman.”

“Scorpia. You know she was raised in that place with us.” 

“You said that.” 

Catra rolled her eyes. “You didn’t do horrible either, but I guess you were always good at everything the first time around.”

“You don’t know what I went through trying to make a new life!” 

“Whatever. Did you fall right in with Sparkles when you got here?”

“Her name is Glimmer,” Adora seethed.  _ You have no idea what I call her, _ Catra thought smugly as Adora continued, “And not that it’s any of your business, but yeah, she helped me when I first came to Etheria.” 

“Lucky you.” Catra glanced at the portrait of the woman over Adora’s head. “Who’s that?” 

Adora’s face twisted. “None of your business.”

“Kind of looks like Sparkles.”

“She owned the store but again, it’s none of your business!”

“Then don’t answer.” 

Pursing her lips, Adora sighed and focused on something behind the counter. “How… How did you get out? I mean, with all of you. I was hardly able to sneak out by myself.” 

Catra shrugged. “We didn’t have to sneak. After you left, everything started going to shit and eventually things got shut down.” 

“What happened to everyone?”

“Hell if I know. We both know that place wasn’t legit. The only reason you had all your papers to run off with is because Shadow Weaver took some weird interest in you. I think I have my social security card and that’s it. Rogelio and Kyle might not even have that.” 

“And Hordak just what, disappeared?”

“I haven’t heard anything about him,” Catra lied. 

“I find it hard to believe that someone like that psychopath would just up and leave.”

“You think he’s going to stick around for a failed business venture? Use your head, Adora.” 

“What about Shadow Weaver?” 

Catra’s blood turned to ice in her veins. The image of dark hair and a covered face filled her mind, every thought suddenly tinged with deep, bloody crimson. Phantom pain pulsed from her fingertips and shot all the way up through her head. She turned to Adora with a savage, wide eyed snarl. 

The door opened before Catra could respond. She wiped the expression from her face as she and Adora turned to Glimmer standing in the doorway, holding two coffee cups. 

“Hey Adora, I’m… oh, hey Catra.” 

“Sparkles,” Catra said with a wave. 

Glimmer set a cup down in front of Adora, whose eyes were trained on Catra. “I got your coffee,” she said. Glancing between them, she lowered her voice and leaned closer to Adora. Catra turned aside and pretended not to listen. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Adora said. She grabbed her cup. “Thanks. Hey, we got a new delivery, can you help me go through it? It’s the one with all the statues.”

“Mind ringing me up, Sparkles?” Catra butted in, holding a crystal in her hand. 

“Yeah, no problem!” Glimmer said with a smile. She touched Adora’s arm. “I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” 

Still scowling at Catra, Adora squeezed Glimmer’s shoulder and retreated to the back room. Catra watched her hand trail across Glimmer’s back as she left. Glimmer didn’t seem to notice. She was too busy smiling at Catra.

Catra fixed a smirk on her face and set the crystal on the counter. “Do I still get a discount?” she purred. 

“For saving my ass, sure,” Glimmer chuckled. 

Catra leaned over the counter like she had the first day she met. “Can I pay with a kiss?” 

Glimmer’s smile faded a touch as she turned aside. “Not here,” she said, her voice low. “I, uh… I haven’t told Adora anything.” 

“Well, that explains why she didn’t strangle me when I walked in.” 

“I just don't know how to bring it up.”

“Princess, I don’t care if she ever knows. I don’t have a problem being a dirty little secret if you want.”

“That’s not what I want.” 

Catra frowned, confusion contorting her features, but she replaced it with a quick smile. “Then you’ll figure it out,” she said. She handed Glimmer cash for the crystal and took the little paper bag. Catching her hand, she pulled Glimmer in and pecked her cheek. Glimmer stifled her laugh as Catra grinned. 

“I’ll call you later, okay?” the shorter girl said. 

“Sounds good. Don’t keep me waiting.”

“I won’t.” 

Catra flashed one last smile before heading out into the street. The sky was dark gray with early spring thunderheads, threatening another long stretch of rain. Catra smelled a storm in the air. 

A stiff frown took over her expression as she drove home. She learned what she needed, for the most part, but it only confirmed everything that would make this harder for her. Adora would be in her way the entire time unless she kept Glimmer away from her. Maybe she could convince Glimmer to keep her “dirty little secret” for a little longer. 

There was an unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. Catra tensed and reached under her seat for her gun.  _ This is either going to be bad or horrible, _ she thought as she hid the weapon in her waistband. 

She edged the door open, eyes sweeping the room. “Scorpia?” she called. “Lonnie, guys, you home?”

“In here, Catra!” Scorpia replied from the kitchen. 

Catra sighed in relief and followed her voice. “Did you guys rent a car or something? If you want the van then just…” 

Her voice trailed off as she was met with a pair of sickly green eyes. Long blond hair was slicked back from a thin, sharp face, and the intruder grinned with a mouth full of unnaturally sharp teeth. They waggled their fingers at her as Scorpia smiled and waved.

“Look who came for a visit!” she said, blissfully oblivious. 

Double Trouble rose from their seat. “It is lovely to see you again, Kitten.” 


End file.
